The Line

by Sooks

Ch.4 - Gambit

181 days of morning exercises had made the predawn alarm a natural part of the platoons’ day. So when they were allowed to sleep in, many of them were out on the field anyway, stretching and running or flying short laps. With the thought of The Gambit looming over them, it was unclear how much sleep any of them had gotten anyway.

Stratus Drifter swooped in for a landing, setting down cleanly on one hoof before the rest of him settled to the ground. “Four minutes, 13 seconds.” Comet read off of the stopwatch.

“Eh, I’ll take it.” The grey pegasus cracked his neck. “You ready for this afternoon?”

“No.” Comet sighed. That wasn’t going to stop her from giving it everything she had. Nopony knew what exactly The Gambit was; some said it was because every time, it changed. Long distance flight, squad based combat, needle threading maneuvers, it could be anything.

“Eh, buck up, Shimmer. You’ll do fine.” Stratus smiled for her. “Oh, anyway, did you see Wisp and Rain this morning?”

“Yeah, at breakfast. Why do you ask?”

“I saw them while I was out on my laps. Did they seem a bit… odd to you?”

The filly choked down her laughter. “They seemed the same to me. Maybe you’re just jittery.”

“Maybe… Woah.”

Comet followed where Stratus was staring. Seeing officers walking around the fort was nothing new. Seeing five dozen or more in their formal uniforms, pins and ribbons shining on their chests and collars, was. Their presence slowly caught the attention of most of the recruits. Murmured conversations rose among them. About half way back through the line, Comet noticed a familiar crop of rainbow mane. Sparing Stratus only a brief apology, Comet zipped over and saluted.

“Wing Sergeant Rainbow Blaze, Sir.” The stallion looked confused for an instant, then covered her face where her mane used to be with a hoof.

“Well if it isn’t the little bookworm. At ease, recruit.” Comet relaxed. A few of the other officers chuckled amongst themselves.

“You know this one, Corkscrew? A bit young for you, isn’t she?” One of his peers chuckled.

“Why does everypony say that? Do I give off some kind of creepy aura?” Rainbow frowned.

“Must be. Catch up when you’re done, alright?” The cobalt stallion waved them away and returned to Comet.

“Six months, huh? How ya been, kid?”

“Ups and downs, as you might expect.” The filly flapped her right wing, though there was nothing left to indicate her injury. “Basic was pretty much exactly what you and the others told me it would be.”

“Yeah, doesn’t change much. I was only here… can’t be more than five years ago.”

“You were promoted quick, sir.”

“Promotions are candy these days. Supposedly, I’m up for First Wing Sergeant for a stunt a I pulled last month. Dove four hundred feet and caught a dragon through the back. Saved two fellas from another platoon.”

“Congratulations, sir. It sounds like you earned it.”

Rainbow Blaze chuckled. “Yeah, you might say that.”

“If I may ask, sir, what brings you and the other officers out here?”

“You guys are running The Gambit today, right?” Comet nodded. “We’re here for a first hoof evaluation. It gives us a chance to see which recruits we want to call to our companies beyond just looking at their files. The lieutenant is busy leading, so she sent me.”

“Does Cyclone Company need new recruits?”

Rainbow Blaze drew a long breath. “Yeah, a few.” Comet waited for more, but he just kept looking down. There was something he could see that was entirely beyond her.

“...Sir?”

“What is it, recruit?”

“How bad is it out there?”

The pegasus took a long time piecing together his answer. “I suppose it could be worse. Equestria really wasn’t ready for this war to happen. We’re understaffed, undersupplied, and undisciplined.” Comet had noticed how many liberties she and her platoon had been allowed compared to their historical counterparts. She had assumed it to be leniency developed with the times, but perhaps, she realized, it was a result of nopony remembering it was not supposed to be allowed. “Our forces have been holding the southern border against regular attacks while we forge weapons and train soldiers. Thank Celestia, we’ve held them in the deserts down south, way away from any of the larger towns. But your lot, plus the turnout from all the other forts and makeshift training sites in Equestria, will likely double our standing army.

“As far as I can tell, the declaration of war wasn’t much more than that: a declaration. The dragons haven’t been as aggressive as we expected, and we haven’t gone looking for trouble. I guess both of us are getting ready for something a lot bigger. At present, the front line comes under attack fifteen , maybe twenty times a week along the whole of the border. Skirmishes, mostly, but they still cost us in small numbers.” Rainbow Blaze paused. “You remember Pine Needle? Muted green pegasus, spiky hair?”

“Yeah, he was with you guys at the pub.” Rainbow looked away and said nothing. “...I’m sorry, sir.”

“That’s how it is, recruit.” The stallion shook his head and blinked, as if he was swatting a fly away. “So here I am, looking for some new blood to fill our ranks. You got anypony you can recommend I keep an eye on, kid?”

“Yeah, we have some real talent in our platoon, I think. There’s-” Comet paused. Her brow furrowed as she said softly, “Sergeant Rainbow Blaze?”

“Recruit Comet Shimmer?”

“Permission to ask a question you might find objectionable?”

“Granted.”

“Am…” The filly looked up at the stallion. “Am I doing my friends a favor by recommending them, or would they be better off with another company?” Her superior was taken aback. His mouth jumped repeatedly between a smile and a frown, a grimace and a smirk. He nodded quietly.

“Walk, Recruit. I’m probably going to be late as it is.” Comet fell in beside the stallion. Up close, she noticed his freshly trimmed fetlocks, bags under his eyes that sleep had done nothing to lighten, and a paleness to his coat. “I can’t say that recommending them would be a favor or not. The Guard has enough ponies filling desks, they don’t need more. The lot of your are likely heading for the front.” He glanced at her. “Yes, you too. Lt. Firefly still has you picked out for our unit, and I imagine she’ll do what she can to get you a job as a messenger or something of the sort, but you’ll be out there with the rest of the company, close enough to the thick of it.

“Cyclone company takes care of its own. We look out for the others as best we can, but it’s tough. If you recommend somepony, and we take them in, the same treatment applies to them. If they get a different company, I can’t promise where they’ll be or how they will be treated. It probably won’t increase or decrease their chances of surviving much, if at all.

“What you need to ask yourself is: If they die, do you want to be a part of it?” Comet was suddenly so close to his face, he thought she was aiming to bite his muzzle off.

“Part of it? I want to save them! They’re my friends, and I’d do anything for them.” Her form heaved with every breath. It was the same shivering filly Rainbow had met a lifetime ago, he thought, but a different facet of her.

“I can’t promise you’ll save them if they’re in our company, but at least if they’re close, you can try.”

Comet visibly deflated. “Sorry, sir.” Her wings tucked tightly to her sides as she slumped into a sit. “...Lily Nimbus, Stratus Drifter, Sparky Bolts, Willow Wisp, Silver Raindrops, Moon Fang, Gale Force… Thunder Clap, The twins, Sun Ray and Moon Beam, from Breaker Platoon, as well as Cloud Bounder, Stargaze, Flourish, Hale Storm, and Snowfall are all good too.”

“You’ve made a lot of friends,” Rainbow chuckled.

“I only got to know the ponies from Breaker recently, when they joined our evening practices. I don’t know them as well as the ones from mine, but objectively, I think they’re pretty good.”

“Works for me. Thanks, kid.” Rainbow helped Comet to her feet. “Hey, look at me. It’s not going to be easy out there, but we’ll see each other through this, alright?” She nodded. “Good. Chin up, Recruit, your test is coming. Go get ready, and maybe I’ll see you after.” He turned to leave, but thought of something. "Oh, I'm not allowed to tell you the specifics, but I'm also here to pick something up for the company. You'll know it when you see it. Good hunting, kid."

“Thank you, sir.” Comet saluted. Rainbow returned her salute and sped after the collection of officers. The filly still had no idea if she’d done the right thing, offering her friends up for Cyclone Company’s scrutiny. At worst, she thought, it was no worse a fate than she had found herself in. Maybe they would like being together, watching out for each other on the battlefield. Or maybe they would have to watch each other die, and hate her for putting them there.

Either way, she would have to put that day away for later. The day at hoof called for all of her attention. The first bell sounded across the field; The Gambit would begin in an hour.

~*~

384 recruits stood at in ranks, the entirety of the three companies set to graduate from Fort Hurricane in even rows and columns. In front, Lt. Thunderhead, her Badger and Crater Company counterparts, Lt. Flurry and Rain Maker, and Captain Winter Gale stood in line before them for inspection. A collection of officers of all ranks stood or sat to the side, observing the affair. An uncomfortable silence hung over the assembly until General Cold Front tapped his pipe, huffed his moustache out of his mouth, and stepped out onto the field.

"General on the field. All hooves, atteeeeention!" Over 400 ponies snapped to attention as the ranking officer stood before them. With a cough, he waved them to ease. The aged pegasus chewed on his pipe as he looked over the ranks.

"Recruits, you stand before a moment that will forever change who you are. This final test of your training will engage you to the limits of your abilities. After today, upon your passing, you will be soldiers of the Equestrian Royal Air Guard. You will be counted among a company of pegasi and chiroptequi of the highest quality. You will be the skyward sword and shield of our kingdom. Your courage will pave the way for our future. Stand tall, stand proud, and count yourselves among the best of Equestria's airborne.

"Captain Winter Gale, they're all yours."

"Sir!" The Captain stepped forward, turned sharply, and hovered in front of the recruits. "As some of you have heard, the Basic Training Term Final Exercise, often referred to as 'The Gambit,' is altered every year to adapt to modern tactics, technologies, and situations. This year, we have modified the nature of the test on an unprecedented level."

A massive clouded floated behind the general and the captain. She continued, "As you may have surmised from your curriculum, we have a new technology at our disposal that will allow for long distance transport and combat by air. Until now, we have not had a unit for you to practice with." The cloud swelled and popped like a balloon, chunks of airborne water flying in all directions.

In its wake, a colossal violet balloon floated in the mid morning sky. Stripes of yellow and white streaked from nose to tail under a broad array of furrowed sails. Beneath, a wooden ship some 200 feet in length was lassoed to the balloon by two dozen cables. A giant, golden figurehead of a phoenix spread its wings across the front of the vessel. Alongside a second assortment of sails, ballistae could be spotted poking over the sides from two decks. Across the freshly lacquered hull, the letters “E.R.A.S. Dauntless” were emblazoned in shining gold paint.

It was an object of pure majesty. Comet Shimmer had seen a few sketches and old photos of airships from decades past. They were awkward constructs that reminded the filly of featherless ducks, all angular moorings and overly complex ship bodies. Whoever had approached the concept this generation had taken the principles and made the ugly ducklings into radiant swans. As the ship glided to a cloud dock, a second surprise awaited her and the assembled recruits.

A crew of mostly unicorns, sprinkled with earth ponies and even a couple pegasi, all together numbering around 200 by Comet’s guess, marched or flew off the ship and formed up across from the recruits. Once all arranged, they snapped a smart salute and awaited the Captain.

“This is the crew of the Dauntless, one of our new airships. They will be providing the backbone of your test today.” The recruits promptly saluted their comrades. "You will be broken up by your training platoons, and each of which will run the test independently. Nopony is to inform another platoon of the nature of the test. Failure to obey this order will result in your immediate failure of the test and court martial. Is that clear?”

“Ma’am, yes Ma’am!” the recruits sounded off in unison.

“Very well. Lt. Flurry?”

“Ma’am!” The lieutenant pulled out a clipboard. “Crater Company, Beaver Platoon, you’re up first. All other platoons are on standby on the main field until called. Dismissed.” The two groups saluted before departing, Beaver Platoon to run The Gambit, everypony else to wait. Nopony could decide if the first or last platoons were the lucky ones.

~*~

Comet responded to Daybreak Platoon as if it was her own name; whenever it was called, she was there alongside ponies she had come to know and care for. But when Lt. Thunderhead called them to prepare for The Gambit, a chill she had never associated with the name ran up her spine. They had not seen any platoons come off of the testing ground; likely they were directed off somewhere to sit tight. They had no idea what waited for them, but they fell into ranks all the same.

Lily and Stratus were right in front of the indigo filly, Rain to her left, Moon Fang and Gale behind. 32 ponies marched double file through the mess hall. They were half way through the hall when Thunderhead’s voice boomed like an explosion, “Eyes up, maggots, we got a war to fight!” They would have fallen all over each other if it wasn’t for the fact that they were all walking on eggshells already. “Armor up, we deploy in five minutes. Anypony that isn’t ready is a dead horse, hear me?” The halls weren’t wide enough or high enough for flying through, but that hardly stopped Daybreak Platoon from trying. Any corner they couldn’t fly around, they landed just enough to kick off with their feet.

In fifteen seconds, they reached the armory. The only light came from the narrow windows across the way, catching on the motes of dust.

Thirty seconds, the armor rack was open and suits were being passed out.

Forty seconds, Willow Wisp’s left fore strap snapped like a twig. “Shit!” The yellow pegasus cursed and grabbed another suit.

Sixty seconds, and Comet was fitting the last loops around her hind legs. Sixty five, Moon Fang set his helmet on his head.

Eighty seconds, and a glaive was passed to the indigo filly. She passed it on down the line until everypony back from her had one.

Ninety seconds, and the butt of her glaive was caught on a harness. She swore to herself as she tried to force it. If the strap broke, ancient piece-of-crap this armor was, she would have to undress, grab a new one, and start all over. Across from her, Lily Nimbus was fitting a small crossbow to her right arm. It was an unpopular choice, only good for one shot in the middle of a fight, but there were enough that those who thought it useful could get their hooves on one.

One hundred ten seconds, and the glaive butt was finally snug in place. Comet hurried with the mid and fore buckles. To her left, Moon Fang burst into a storm of curses. “What is it?” she called.

“The damn buckle snapped its hinge. How the buck does it even do that!?” Moon Fang hustled over to a locker and yanked it open. Dozens of metal crossbow bolts stood in neat rows, black tips shining in the dim light. The orange chiroptequus grabbed a bolt and thrust it through the straps. With a grunt, he bent the bolt enough to keep the haphazard fix in place.

One hundred forty seconds, most of the platoon was armed and armored. Comet slipped her helmet on last; it was easier to check her gear without it shifting about on her head. Her ears slipped through the holes on the helmet, helping to hold it in place. Dirty chain links clattered under tarnished golden plate mail. Maybe the platoons before them had used these suits, but it was likely somepony had used it before them, and somepony before them, and on and on for too long.

One hundred fifty seconds. “Sound off!” Sparky Bolts called down the line.

The farthest back on the left side gave the pony in front of him a few pats and called out, “One okay!”

The mare he had cleared did the same for hers before calling out, “Two okay!”

When the last of the left column had been cleared, it continued up the right column, until at last, Thunder Clap patted Bolt’s back and shouted “Thirty two, okay!”

“Let’s move it, everypony!” One hundred eighty seconds found Daybreak Platoon galloping out onto the field. Lt. Flurry stood out in the center of the field, watching them approach with all the energy of a rock. The decorated officers had not moved from their earlier place, though many seemed to have collections of notebooks and papers on hoof. But most noticeably, the Dauntless was pulling out into open sky.

“Let’s go, ponies!” Lt. Flurry called out as they grew near. “Rendezvous with your C.O. on the deck, no stopping. Are you trotting, recruit? I said move.” As they passed her, each pair of ponies unfurled their wings and took off. Two hundred fifteen seconds, and they were airborne. Eighty five seconds to spare. Daybreak Platoon wheeled around and landed in formation on the Dauntless’ top deck. To their right, the deck crew, mostly unicorns as Comet had noticed earlier, stood at attention as well. In front, a stubby brown unicorn with an unkempt mane looked over her assembled crew.

“At ease, airponies.” The unicorn started to pace across the deck. “I am Captain Starstruck, commanding officer of the Dauntless. As you know, we have been separated from our combat group for nearly a week after a surprise storm blew us off course. We have been fortunately undetected thus far, but it seems our luck has run out, boys and girls. Our CAG just reported in a small dragon patrol, about a dozen or so of the scaly bastards, heading in our direction. At our current speed and heading, we’re not going to be able to avoid them. We have six minutes before they’re right on top of us. Guard Command!”

“Ma’am!” Lt. Thunderhead barked. Comet started. Where had she come from, and when had she gotten suited up, glaive and all?

“I want two squads on alert status, the rest helping to get this boat to combat status. Is that clear?”

“Ma’am, yes Ma'am!”

“Then what are you waiting for, mules? Action stations!” The first mate blew his whistle, a bell sounded from the stern, and suddenly everypony had to be somewhere.

“Alpha, Charlie squads, you’re on alert. Crew the launch gangway and await further orders. Bravo, Delta, get this tub in shape.” Thunderhead’s voice was everywhere at once. Comet fell in with the rest of Alpha Squad and made her way out onto the gangway. Due to numbers, Sparky Bolts had agreed to fly with Delta Squad. He gave them a sideways glance as he and his squad headed off to arm the guns. They had practiced every possible action they would need to take on cloud constructs, but the presence of wood and rope instead of nimbus clouds made everything that much more unnerving.

“Hey Screwup,” Willow Wisp called over the whipping wind.

“What, Cheerleader?” Stratus called back.

“What was the captain saying about a dragon squad?”

“Did you seriously not listen to that now of all times!?”

“No I heard that, but… there’s no dragons here, right?”

“That’s enough, boys,” Rain shouted as she checked over her gear again, “whatever’s out there, we’re first response. Double check your equipment and be ready to launch.”

“Aye, Stuffshirt!” Willow Wisp saluted and sat to double check his straps. Comet gave herself a quick once over, but her gaze kept drifting out to the clouds floating by. They had run battle simulations before a few times, but always against other platoons. Somehow, they were going to be fighting dragons this time. A lump formed in her gut, and she steadied her breathing in an attempt to break it up.

"You ready, Egghead?" Lily asked.

"As I'll ever be. How about you, Jitterbug?"

"Oh, I was born ready." The pink pegasus caught a nod from Rain and let loose her command voice. "Alright, squads, form pairs with the poor mule on your right. Keep close, watch each other's backs, and be ready for anything. Enemy number and strength is unknown, so don't-" The ship lurched as it started a rapid ascension. Everywhere, sails swelled with wind as the vessel rode the current up. "-don't take any risks. Once we engage, we form a line between them and the ship that we do not let them cross. Protecting the Dauntless is our primary concern, 'cause I doubt we'll be making the journey home without her. Any Questions?" Everypony shook their head.

Lt. Thunderhead came racing by only moments later. "Lieutenant," Silver Raindrops called out, "what's the cause for our climb?"

"We're closing in on the enemy, recruit. Captain's hoping to get above them, get a clean shot before they notice we're here." The officer was off down the deck before anything else could be asked.

"I guess we're going to be diving on their backs," Comet said. "Remember, smell is their strongest scent. If we're lucky, we'll approach from downwind. If not, dive in an arc around them to throw off their aim."

"Egghead," Willow said, "I think this is a good time for a New Moon." The filly stared at him pensively for a moment and nodded. "Right. You guys know this one. It's going to be a challenge running it with your wingpony, so lead alone makes the strike. Wing, follow your lead in and keep their flanks clear. After we clear the dive, engage at-"

"Dragons, port bearing zero-one-zero!" a unicorn shouted from the bow. "Down bearing, zero-seven-four, distance, one-six-zero yards. Eight glimmerbacks, loose formation." The alert squads looked down below them. Drifting among the clouds in a rough V formation was something that they could not believe it was possible.

Eight dragons flew directly under them. Two red, three green, one yellow, one blue, and one dirty grey, they glided on the wind with the occasional beat of their broad, leathery wings. Scales shone in the sunlight, tails whipped against minute changes in the breeze. In a way, they reminded the recruits of their own lazy flying formations, albeit considerably less equine and slightly more nightmarish. The yellow dragon directly behind the lead cocked its head up at the Dauntless and roared. The rest of the flight took notice, and as one they rose towards the wooden airship.

"Alert squads, intercept the enemy and halt their advance. Remaining air squads, prepare to launch and reinforce. All hooves, get those ballistae loaded and bring us into combat range. Keep us above those lizards as much as possible." Captain Starstruck took her place overlooking the deck while Lt. Thunderhead formed up with Bravo and Delta squads. Comet looked to her left: Lily nodded with her regular blazing grin. The hyper pony was set to be her lead; as much as she could be a headache, Comet could not have asked for a better partner. Comet looked to her right. Gale Force nodded quickly, his jaw clenched. He would be leading Thunder Clap through the charge.

Her breathing was heavy, but it was even and controlled. In a minute, it would be very hard to snag a breath; best enjoy it while the opportunity was there. She waved the affirmative up to Rain, who cleared it with another wave. The brick red pegasus shouted, and in tandem, the squad leaned forward. Comet eased her breath out through her nose as gravity took hold. The gangway slipped out from under her, and like a leaf drifting into the wind, she jumped.

Comet slipped in behind Lily, who guided her using the wake off of her feathered wings. Below them by a rapidly closing margin, the dragons flew up, teeth bared and wings flapping vigorously. Lily and Comet altered course to meet an average sized green head on. A pair from Charlie Squad was ahead of them by a few yards. Lily saw the lead motion to his wingpony, and she in turned slipped an order to Comet. Her wings flexed slightly, followed by a second flex from her right wing. Comet read the change in wake and readied herself. They outnumbered the dragons two to one, but as far as any of them were concerned, a dragon was worth five ponies. Their first strike had to be worth something good.

Their vision began to fill with gaping green dragon maw, and that's when the squad in front began their attack. One ducked to the left, one to the right, far enough apart that the dragon could not decide on a target and missed them both. Lily followed to the right while Comet rolled to her left, keeping a substantial distance from the rows of teeth in case it regained its bearings too early. With all four clear, the lead team continued to fall, slashing along the dragon's back with their glaives. Each pony took a wing, the lead pair slicing through the tendons at is base while Comet and Lily cut through he leathery webbing. The dragon shrieked and turned to chase, but with its wings rendered useless, it could do nothing but plummet beneath the clouds.

"That wasn't a New Moon," Comet panted.

"No, that's called Killing a Bucking Dragon," Lily shouted back.

To their right, Gale Force and Thunder Clap had engaged the yellow drake, a colossal beast twice the size of the green they had just killed. Gale barely dodged out of the way of the dragon's bite, zipped down its throat, and jammed his glaive just above its collar bone. To the pegasus' dismay, the weapon became lodged against the diamond hard bone, and with the harness keeping it fixed against his side, he was now pinned to a thoroughly enraged dragon.

"Form up on me!" Lily called to the other three, and in a diamond formation they hurried to assist their comrade. Thunder Clap kept the drake distracted, zipping around its face and stabbing at its eyes. He managed to score a lucky hit on one of the weblike lids, causing the drake to rear back in pain and rage. The four ponies sped under its neck and huddled in to inspect Gale's predicament. "Stuck in there good, Chunks?"

"It might as well be part of the dragon!" He gave it another twist and pull, but to no avail. "I can buck it in half and get free, but I'll be weaponless."

"Do it." Lily looked to the Charlie Squad ponies. "You two cover him back to the Dauntless. Thunder Clap will join up with us and take this beast down." Gale delivered a mighty kick to his glaive, snapping it like a twig. Freed, he took up formation with his escort, and the three sped out and up away from the battle. Comet looked up towards the dragon's head; Thunder was still drawing its attention. She sped up along its throat as the drake let out a colossal roar. The filly thrust her glaive into the webbing inside of the dragons mouth, slicing it apart as she withdrew. Below her, Lily delivered a quick jab beneath its jaw, sacrificing power to ensure she did not become trapped as Gale Force had.

Eyes red with fury, the yellow drake vaulted back from the three ponies and charged forward. Before they could charge against it, the drake pivoted, its tail whipping forward to claim all three of them at once. Lily nimbly flipped over the appendage while Thunder vaulted with a powerful flap of his wings. Comet, being neither as graceful or as strong as her wing ponies, opted to let gravity do its job. She flipped onto her back and beat down, forcing herself down with enough speed to evade the tail. Now singled out, the dragon focused on the filly. She quickly righted herself, but the massive beast was already on top of her with an open mouth. In her nightmares, this was one of the ways she died. She had just hoped it would be faster.

To either side of the dragon's head, a pony appeared. Lily and Thunder jammed their glaives into the dragon' eye sockets, twisting and stirring with everything they had. Comet was sure that the dragon's scream had struck her deaf, but that could be dealt with later. Snapping out of her death stupor, she sped forward down the dragon's gizzard. She angled her glaive upward, leaving a long trail of rent flesh down the reptilian neck. Dark, thick life force showered down on her, turning the filly red from ear to tail. Blinded and choking on its own blood, the yellow struggled to stay airborne before finally succumbing to its wounds.

Exhausted and covered in blood, the three ponies rendezvoused and looked around them. Of the eight, four dragons remained in the sky. One pair from Charlie Squad was nowhere to be seen, and Moon Fang and Willow Wisp were carrying a wounded Stratus Drifter back to the Dauntless under guard from another Charlie wing.

Armored, feathery rain suddenly descended on the remaining four drakes as Bravo and Delta squads dived straight onto the unsuspecting lizards. In a flurry of glaives and shouting, all four were turned to pincushions and fell beneath the clouds. Lily led her wing to the gathered platoon, all of whom seemed to be taking a moment to enjoy the fact that they were still alive.

"All squads sound off!" Lt. Thunderhead called above the wind.

"Alpha Squad, four reporting!"

"Bravo Squad, eight reporting!"

"Charlie Squad, four reporting!"

"Delta Squad, eight reporting!" With the two Charlies and three Alphas healthy but at the ship, almost the entire platoon was ready to go. Not so bad, they had to admit.

A roar like thunder cut off Thunderhead's next orders. All heads turned as a cloud was ripped apart by two drakes larger than anything they had just taken down.

"Broadwings!" Somepony shouted. A series of thumps resounded as the Dauntless let fly a salvo of heavy metal arrows. The half that actually struck the dragons seemed to bother them not at all; they barreled forward with the shafts embedded in them as if nothing had happened.

"All wings form up and take those monsters down!" The ponies formed up and flew for their new opponents. Silver Raindrops, now without a wingpony, took up as Thunder Clap's lead. She led the rest of Alpha on a wider arc that would, she hoped, deliver them to the dragon's flank rather than its mouth.

The decision paid off. The left broadwing, a titan of purple scales with silver stripes and brown horns, reared up and produced a wall of air from its gigantic wings. Three pony wings were directly in its path. Comet was quite sure, watching them fall limp into the clouds below, that not single bone among them remained unbroken. The filly noticed with some dismay, right before she disappeared, that Lt. Thunderhead was among the lost.

"Stay close, ponies!" Rain called over her shoulder. Ballistae did next to nothing against the broadwings; their glaives would likely not even cause an itch. The four remaining members of Alpha Squad swooped in and latched onto the back of the red broadwing. Hooking into the scaled skin with heir glaives, the squad took a moment to collect themselves.

"Thunderhead's gone," Comet said. The others sat silently. "We have to find a weak point on this thing. Its eyes, its wings, somewhere there has to be something we can damage." Out in front, Bravo and Delta squads swarmed around the purple, glaives and bolts poking all over but finding no purchase. Fed up with the harassment, the dragon reared back, took a deep breath, and released a column of fire from its mouth. One pegasus was caught in the blast, two others escaped with singed feathers, and the cloud sea below transformed into one of fire.

"You read that damn journal cover to cover three times, Egghead," Thunder Clap said. "You're going to be the one that knows their weak points." Rain and Lily nodded in agreement. Comet swallowed and mentally scanned Earnest Hem's notes. Obviously, he had not explicitly listed their weaknesses, but he had observed them fight each other and made note of areas they tended to protect. In particular, the neck and belly were almost always among said body parts, perhaps notable by their change in color. But even if they could stab through the scales underneath, how could they hope to harm the monster? It was utterly gargantuan, and the Dauntless' heavy weaponry had harmlessly embedded themselves in its back-

"We fly right out in front of it, get its attention, and head up. Keep a loose formation, too close and we all get burned alive. Whatever it takes, keep its belly facing the Dauntless, understood?" More nods. "Then let's get to it."

Alpha Squad unhooked from the dragon's back and made for its nose. Lily and Comet took the beast's left, Rain and Thunder flanked right. As they reached the head, Lily used her one crossbow shot and nailed the dragon clean in its eye. The bolt embedded in the soft flesh and failed to penetrate entirely, but they clearly had the dragon's attention.

"Fly!" Comet shouted, and immediately all four ponies were climbing as fast as their wings could carry them. Behind, the red broadwing matched them for speed, its eponymous wings carrying it upwards with mighty beats.

Rain risked a glance over her shoulder, and to her dismay, the monster was gaining on them. Fire breath or no, it would be on top of them in under a minute. "Shimmer!" she shouted, but the chiroptequus kept climbing. The brick red filly could feel the air warming from the dragon's pants. Beneath them, the dragon's open maw began to glow, a fire building deep within the massive lizard that would soon engulf them all.

The broadwing straightened its throat to let loose its volley, but choked on its own flame. Facing its belly, the Dauntless fired every ballista it could. The heavy metal shafts punched deep into the softer underbelly scales, disappearing almost entirely into the dragon's gut. With nearly a dozen shafts embedded in it, the dragon's ascent began to slow. The four Alpha Squad ponies cut their ascent, rolled end over end, and dove on the wounded beast. Driving the nail into the coffin as hard as they could, they lashed out at anything that might be vulnerable: eyes, wing webbing, soft spots along joints, anything. A final ballista shaft from the Dauntless caught the broadwing through the gizzard, and with a flaming sputter, it lost the battle against gravity.

Moon Fang, Gale Force, and Willow Wisp, along with the two ponies from Charlie Squad, jumped from the Dauntless and formed up with the other four. "Nice work, ponies," Willow called as they drew close, "but what's our plan for the big guy still left?" All eyes turned to shimmer. The filly shook her head; she knew dragons well enough, but making use of what they had was not her strength. Sparky Bolts was a far better strategist, but he was leading Delta Squad, assuming he was still out there somewhere at all.

"We hit every weak spot that last one had to kill it. Go for the underbelly, base of the wings, or the eyes. I don't think we can pull its belly up to face the ship again, though, and I doubt we can do enough damage by ourselves."

"Maybe not," Moon Fang said, "but gravity has been pretty good to us. Ogre, I saw you got some solid cuts in that last one's wing. How hard was that?"

"Like plowing a field," Thunder Clap replied, "shit's hard. It's doable, but not in a pass."

"Right. If we can take out one wing sufficiently, it won't keep airborne."

"Which wing, then?" Gale Force tapped his new glaive to check the harness.

"Whichever we can get," Lily said. "Wide V formation, let's see if we can slip onto its wing undetected. Fly fast, fly straight. Let's go!" Nine ponies surged forward, wings straining to give them as much power as they could. Far ahead, Sparky Bolts could be seen rallying the remainder of Bravo and Delta squads. When he saw the nine approaching fast, he pulled his formation away, leading the dragon perpendicular to the oncoming wing. The dragon took up the pursuit, angling to the left to follow Sparky's team. Both billowing wings were presented to the attacking squad like landing pads.

With a final surge of speed, Comet and her squad crashed into the left wing, hooking into the flesh with their glaives before they bounced off. Rain tumbled once and barely lodged her weapon into the edge of the leather sail. Attached, they set to work cutting through the webbing wherever they could. The dragon screeched and looked to see the source of its pain. It began to beat its wings, throwing the nine assailants about like leaves in a storm. It was all they could do to hang on and not be thrown out into the open air.

Despite its long neck, the beast could not reach around to chomp at the smaller creatures. While they were reduced to clinging on for dear life, the damage they had already dealt had thoroughly angered the beast. And in its moment of distraction, Sparky's team looped around and set to work on the right. Like locust devouring crops, they spent their precious seconds shredding the fleshy webbing. Now under a great deal of distress, the broadwing flapped violently in place in an attempt to dislodge its attackers. Both pony parties found themselves immobilised against the great leathery wings.

A beat of the dragon's wings nearly dislodged Lily. With a shout, she bounced in the air, clinging to the tattered wing only by her embedded glaive. As she bounced, the hook of her glaive cut through a bit more webbing. An altogether risky idea popped into the pegasus' mind, but it was no worse than being stuck on a dragon' back until it reached them.

"Everypony, bounce with its wing beats!" When all she got were confused stares, she timed a flap with the dragon's. In a much more controlled manner, the filly seemed to hop, her glaive tearing a bit more. It was still poorly timed, but it was enough for the others to understand. One by one, they started hopping awkwardly down the dragon's wing, leaving trails of plowed, bloody leather in their wake. Across the way, Sparky Bolt's team grew wise to their plan and began to do the same. Inch by grueling inch they tore the wings to ribbons, until there was simply not enough lift to keep the titanic beast afloat.

Feeling gravity asserting itself, the ponies launched free from the broadwing. They floated in the air, content to watch the dragon screech and roar until it had passed out of sight and sound. Not a single one of the wasn't panting and covered in dragon blood. But they were alive. Twenty ponies remained airborne of the thirty three that had jumped from the Dauntless. None of them had the experience to know if those numbers were good or not.

A shadow loomed over the remaining platoon. The Dauntless eased in close, allowing her combat wings to land with minimal difficulty. Captain Starstruck awaited them on the deck.

"Excellent work out there, ponies. With that party down, we can expect clear skies all the way to the rendezvous site. Get yourselves cleaned up and take a rest, but be ready to launch again. Understood?"

"Yes Ma'am!"

"Very good. Ensign, take us out of this airspace." The ship eased into speed, and Daybreak Platoon sat on deck, content to watch the clouds roll by and let the cool wind dry their sweat. Comet closed her eyes for just a moment before she felt the ship beginning to slow. She looked out over the rail to see Fort Hurricane, exactly as they had left it. A whistle sounded, and another airship pulled up alongside the Dauntless's starboard bow. It was identical save for the name "Adamant" emblazoned along its hull. The two ships eased to a stop only a few yards out from the edge of the mesa. "Daybreak Platoon, this is your stop. Good luck with your evaluation. Dismissed."

The platoon saluted promptly, but honestly were a bit confused. Sparky Bolts nodded towards the fort, and nopony else had a better idea, so they hopped over the railing and glided down to the grassy field they had departed from. From the Adamant came another group of ponies, and it wasn't until one of the ponies from Bravo squad shouted in joy that Comet realized it was the dead from their fight.

"How are you alive?" Willow Wisp said as the now whole platoon set down on the grass. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I'm glad you are, but, I mean, Canopy," he jabbed an accusatory hoof, "you were engulfed in fire for Faust's sake!"

"Yeah, I was there."

"Magic, recruit. They are alive because of magic." Rainbow Blaze set down beside them. "Or more accurately, they were never dead to begin with. The Adamant was sitting just behind a cloud we had set up. Its crew for the exercise consists of a talented group of unicorns from the 2nd Illusory division of the Magicorps, as well as a few from The 14th Combat Magic Division to provide the stun shocks. Lt. Thunderhead, I was surprised you got taken out so easily."

"Believe me, I was surprised too. There hadn't been a wind blast like that in the earlier runs." The lieutenant chuckled. Comet was quite certain now that she had in fact been eaten, and was now in some alternate reality one embarks to after death. "All the same, I think the recruits did fine without me."

"I'd say so. Not the fewest casualties, but they might have the fastest kill."

"So the other platoons ran this... simulation too, sir?" Gale Force was still trying to wrap his head around the idea that the dragons had been altogether fake.

"That they did, Recruit. The Gambit this year was a simulation battle against a dragon flight. Their behavior was modeled off of combat reports and first hand experience of members of the Air Guard. Any recruit that was 'killed' was incapacitated using a standard stun shock, delivered either through a spell rooted on the dragon construct or cast long distance by the ponies on The Adamant, and were subsequently teleported to safety on her deck. This time, you all live. Next time, not so lucky. Bear that in mind, recruits." The platoon saluted.

"Any injuries sustained were illusory as well," the sergeant explained, "but we had to make the blood at least partially real to apply the associated fatigue." Made aware of it, Comet realized she was, on top of everything else, still extremely wet and sticky. "Go wash up and rest. We'll evaluate your performance along with the other platoons, and you'll have the results tomorrow evening. Good work out there, recruits. Dismissed."

Daybreak Platoon saluted Rainbow Blaze and Thunderhead, then trudged off to find a hot shower and their bunks. Comet Shimmer's gaze caught Rainbow's as she made her way off the field. He simply answered her questioning look with a nod before turning with the lieutenant and breaking into a conversation.

The shower room rang with the most satisfied groans any of them had ever heard or made. Armor fell to the tiled floor with no hint of ceremony as everypony hurried for warm water. Comet was already dripping; a shower of dragon gizzard from their second glimmerback had left her covered in warm, red life force as much, if not more, than anypony else. It clumped her fur, it stuck in her joints, she swore it had gotten up her nose. The filly unharnessed her glaive, letting it fall to the floor with a clatter, and made it as far as the entrance to the shower before slipping on some water and collapsing to the floor.

The once indigo filly found she was perfectly content to lie there, but somepony else had other ideas. "Come on, Shimmer, up you go." Moon Fang and Silver Raindrops hoisted her up from either side. The brick red filly relieved her of her helmet, and together they guided her under a warm stream of water while she was still in her armor.

The steaming shower diluted the thick, fake blood and wiped it clear from the filly's face. Completely spent, she let out a noise somewhere between a satisfied moan and a wail. She couldn't open her eyes, she couldn't lift her wings, all she could do was stand in the water and come to grips with the fact that they had not faced death just minutes ago.

"That's it, get all of that filth off." Rain ran a hoof through her mane, absently helping to scrub the locks clean. In a way, she was glad Comet seemed so vulnerable. It gave the taller pony something to focus on that wasn't her own quivering legs. Stealing a glance around, she saw nopony who looked better than the two of them. Even Thunderclap the stupendous, big and tough and always ready for a fight, looked utterly beaten. Silver just hoped that this would help them in the long run. Next time would be real; hopefully they would have some idea of how to deal with it.

The ponies of Daybreak Platoon helped each other out of their armor and trudged to their barracks. Comet forced enough energy into her wings to lift herself up to her bunk. The microsecond her head hit the pillow, she was gone. Everypony else was following suit. The filly slept like a stone, but her dreams were a clash of glaives and leathery wings and flaming skies.

~*~

Straus Drifter, having spent the least amount of time fighting out of the squad, volunteered to get dinner for everypony and bring it back to the hall. When he arrived, he found buffet carts arranged in the mess for ponies to take. Apparently, he told them, almost every platoon was sending one or two ponies to get food, so the kitchen had to adapt. The hall itself only had about a dozen ponies poking at meals, a ghost town compared to its usual crowd of hundreds at this hour.

Lily dug into a bowl of salad, letting her satisfaction be known to all present. Everypony else took conservative bites of food and said little. Comet nibbled on a roll, certain that anything richer would be rejected. She mumbled her thanks to Drifter and returned to her bunk with her tray.

"So Canopy, I have to ask," Lily said between bites, "what did you feel with the fire breath?"

The mint green pony set down his sandwich. "To be honest, not a lot. There was a flash of heat, like when you open an oven door, then darkness for a second, and then I was on the Adamant. I think since the flame was fake, it was only enough to simulate getting burned."

"It felt real enough to me," Autumn Breeze said. Despite losing a great deal of plumage to the fire that afternoon, his feathers were all present and accounted for, not a single one even darkened.

"It was all a feedback illusion," Rain explained. "If you weren't one of the targets for the spell, your wings would have appeared just fine.

"But you saw the burns too, right Willow?" The lemon pegasus nodded. "Caltrop?" His wingpony, who had been similarly scorched, nodded as well. "How could we all have been given the same illusion like that?"

"Because we were inside a radial cast." Comet fished a book on unicorn magic from her library and skimmed to a page about halfway in. "Most unicorn magic requires a specific target to be in mind when they cast a spell, but they can also establish a field, usually circular, in which the magic is applied to everypony within the space. My guess is, they established some sort of responsive illusion that would tell everypony the same thing."

"So why aren't we using that kind of magic against the dragons? Wouldn't it be, you know, useful to make our numbers appear three times as great?"

"Maybe we are, but this says the spell takes hours to set up even a small circle. I imagine they were setting that up for days. It's just not practical."

"But sending us to die is?" Comet had no answer for that. Fake dragons, largely incapable of adaptive thought, had still taken out nearly half their platoon. What would they do against an entire army of real, angry, intelligent dragons?

“As soon as the dragons see through it, and they would, they’d charge right in and wipe us out. It might deter them once or twice, but it wouldn’t last.”

"She’s right, more or less," Sparky Bolts replied. Comet snorted. "The Magicorps sit in their towers and read books all day. They couldn't produce battle ready magic to save their lives. We can fight, and we can adapt. You win wars with soldiers, not tricks." The others nodded; it was a load of bull, but it was better than nothing. They returned to dinner, but Comet found she still wasn't very hungry.

The filly hopped off her bunk to use the toilet, passing by Rain on the way out. She stopped, and with a sly grin she whispered in the taller filly's ear just loud enough for her to hear, "Congratulations to you and Willow." It turns out, it was possible for the red pony to turn redder. She turned to hiss at Comet, but the chiroptequus was already out the door, humming to herself.

"What was that?" Gale Force asked.

"Nothing!"

~*~

"At ease, recruits, settle down." General Cold Front accepted a glass of brandy. "I hope you'll permit an old stallion a moment on your big night."

Three companies of ponies, along with a menagerie of officers, filled the main assembly hall near to bursting. Tables had been brought in with name cards for everypony, and when that proved insufficient, clouds had been brought to add a second layer to the affair. It was the first time many of the ponies had donned their fine, midnight blue uniforms. Each of them sat at their assigned seats, a glass of wine and a small black box awaiting them at the table. When they had all taken their seats, the general resumed.

"I have served the Royal Air Guard for the vast majority of my life, longer in fact than many of you have been alive. I have seen good ponies come and go, friends and comrades from all walks of life who have dedicated themselves to the defense of their country. But it is a comparatively easy thing to dedicate oneself to in a time of peace. You, and those around you, have volunteered in a time of war, when Equestria's need is great. There is no more noble an act than to offer one's self to the defense of their home and their loved ones.

"In the past, we have had less than a single company worth of graduates at any given time, so we were able to do this a bit more individually. However, in this instance, every member of all three companies, every recruit up for graduation, has passed." General Cold Front smiled. "This is an exceptional group of ponies you have had the opportunity to train and grow with. I hope you will take that excellence into your futures, and add your strength, your ingenuity, and your courage to the Royal Air Guard.

"Open your boxes please." Three companies of ponies opened their little black boxes. Inside each, a pair of golden wings with a crossed sun and moon in the center shined against black velvet. "As of this moment, you are no longer recruits. You are, each of you, an airpony of Equestria. Wear your wings with honor. Congratulations." The general lead the officers in a thunderous applause of hooves. Cheers went up around the room, toasts were made, hugs were shared. Six months had come and gone, and whatever lay ahead, this moment was theirs.

Comet bit her hoof to choke back a sob. A month ago, she didn't believe she would ever pass. She was still too slow, still too weak. She had gone into The Gambit with everything she had folded in on itself, and it had paid off. She was an airpony. The shining wings in her hoof were hers and hers alone. She smiled the biggest smile she had managed since arriving at Fort Hurricane, but her sobs wouldn't stop.

"Oh, don't be dramatic, Egghead." Moon Fang grabbed her pin and fitted it to her chest. "There, perfect. It looks good on you, Airpony Shimmer." It was the title that did her in. She lunged at the orange colt and took him up in a giant bear hug. It was all she could do to hold him, and laugh, and cry. He laughed with her and patted her on the back.

The other members of Alpha Squad floated in around them, wine glasses in hoof. The two chiroptequi broke and grabbed their own glasses. They smiled at each other and raised their glasses, but paused when everypony realized, nopony had thought of anything to say.

"...To the best damn squad Equestria has ever known."

Comments

[Widow Peak]

Honestly, sometimes I am not very sure of who is speaking. It is rather annoying.

The fighting-an-ilusion thing was clever, but it got me really confused for a while XD

I would also avoid putting numbers inside the narration.

Comet said. "Remember, smell is their strongest scent.

I think you mean strongest sense.